


Is it possible to save me?

by ms_awkward_cat



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, And support, Angst, F/F, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know where this will go, I'm Bad At Titles, It will end happy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ramsay is a dick, Recovery, Stark family love, but idk, but it will be a long road, margaery loves sansa, maybe there will be other stark relationships, sansaery, sansaery centric, she will always care for her, we'll see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22990084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_awkward_cat/pseuds/ms_awkward_cat
Summary: Ramsay had Sansa locked up and abused her for too long but when he crashes his car and is sent to hospital Margaery is worried about where Sansa is and goes to find her. This is basically Sansa's road to recovery and she's supported by Margaery and her family. (I suck at summaries, I know)
Relationships: Sansa Stark & Margaery Tyrell, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
Comments: 30
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1 (introduction)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope this will be a good story and that you all will like it. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while now and I'm really excited to finally get the chance to. I can't guarantee regular updates but I plan on finishing this (there will be a happy ending don't worry) story eventually. I hope you like it, this is just the introduction. I'm sorry that the pov is kinda fucked up but in later updates it will primarily between Sansa and Margaery and I'll make it clearer. Hope you enjoy xx

Ramsay had wrecked Sansa. He had played with her mind and held her trapped in their relationship. He slowly broke off all her connections to the outside world. Every so slowly he isolated Sansa from those who cared about her and loved her the most in the world. He bided his time, he was patient, he let her think she had finally found a happy relationship. He played the ‘perfect’ boyfriend for so long, he played the part until he had succeeded in capturing Sansa, until he had made her drift away from her friends into his arms without her realising it. He knew that in order to get what he truly wanted form Sansa he couldn’t have her family within her grasp and he most certainly couldn’t let her continue to see her best friend, Margaery. Margaery had never approved of Sansa choosing to date him but she held her tongue because she figured that the northerner needed to realise it for herself, she never imagined it would go so far. 

Ramsay kept Sansa locked inside all day when he was at work and at night when her got home he would rape her until he grew tired and then he would tie up her hands and feet to make sure she couldn’t leave when he slept.

He was a monster. One that Sana had long since given up hope of escaping. Sansa had resigned herself to this hell. She would zone out and remove herself from her body to block out the pain. She became a shell of her old self, nothing more than a vessel for Ramsay to fuck. She locked away her feelings of love and sorrow for her family, she forced herself to forget about Margaery because she knew that it would be unbearable to go through this with those memories of happier times.

She was found, tied up on Ramsay’s bed in the middle of the night by Robb, Jon, Theon and Margaery. Apparently, Ramsay had gone to hospital after he crashed his car into a tree whilst drunk. Margaery was worried for Sansa, none of the news reals or headlines said anything about a girl being with him in the crash and she didn’t know how to contact Sansa in any way apart from going to her house. So that’s what she did, she hadn’t heard anything from Sansa in over a month and was seriously worried for her best friend. None of her messages had been answered and none of her calls reached the red head. So when Margaery arrived and found his house locked, with all the lights off, and no sound of anyone inside she immediately called Sansa’s brothers. Something must be wrong.

Sansa knew that Margaery had suspected that Ramsay was mean to her but when Sansa was still allowed out of the house to see people she would never let Margaery know how far his meanness went. Sansa didn’t want her best friend to know how cruel he was, she didn’t want Marg to think any less of her and she didn’t want to burden her. So she never told anyone, she had allowed it to escalate until it was almost too late. 

When she was found, Sansa hadn’t left the house in a whole month. She had bruises all over her body from where Ramsay would beat her. Her porcelain skin was unrecognisable, many cuts covered it and dried blood stuck to her legs from when he would rape her. Her eyes were surrounded by thick black rings and her lip was split. She was a complete mess. 

Sansa couldn’t remember much from that night or from the weeks that followed, but Margaery remembered, gods she could never forget…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened on the night...

-Margaery’s pov (but like not really, idek I’m sorry, I can’t do pov so you know just try your best to read it)

Margaey’s car was parked haphazardly in the driveway and she was currently standing at the door waiting for the Stark brothers to arrive. Her foot was insistently tapping, she was so nervous. Where the hell was Sansa? If she wasn’t at home where could she be? What if something awful had happened to her and nobody could find her?

She had panicked and called Robb when she received no answer to her repeated knocking on the door and he said he would come immediately.That was ten minutes ago and she didn’t know how far away he was but she knew she couldn’t wait much longer. She was so worried for Sansa, she needed to find her. 

Just as Margaery was about to call Robb again to see where he was she saw a car turn the corner onto the road. It travelled fastly, definitely over the speed limit but for that she was thankful. The car pulled up just behind hers and out scrambled Robb and Jon, shortly followed by Theon, who was driving and had to turn off the ignition. They all wore the same look of worry on their faces, she was sure it was also mirrored on hers.

Margaery watched as Sansa’s brothers banged on the door, it didn’t make any difference. She had already tried several times and still there remained no response. After the fifth time Robb took a step back, he seemed to be contemplating something before he turned to Margaery and told her to move out the way. Immediately she did, realising what he was going to do. Jon and Theon understood it too and all three of them stood to the side behind Robb as he broke the door down. It swung open with a loud crash and they all rushed into the house.

Once inside they split up, searching for any sign of Sansa. Robb and Theon stayed on the ground floor, while Jon went straight to the loft and Margaery searched the first floor. She walked along the corridor, opening doors and turning on all the lights. She could hear similar noises coming from below and above her as they scoured the house for any signs of Sansa. 

Marg was so desperate to find Sansa. She was so scared that something might have happened to the woman she loved. She didn’t think she could handle it if Sansa wasn’t here. When she reached the last door in the corridor, Margaery heard muffled sobs echoing from inside. She pounded on the door, it wouldn’t open. 

“Sansa, SANSA. Are you in there? Sansa, can you hear me?” She yelled through the door. At the sound of her voice the boys came running. First to arrive was Jon and he stopped to listen for a second before looking at Margaery and nodding. It was Sansa, she had found her. 

Margaery turned back to the door and shouted through it, “Sansa, if you’re in there stand back, we’re going to open the door.”

Again she moved out the way but this time it was Jon who ran into the door opening it with a bang. They spilled into the room and took in the sight before them. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the room. By the time she had located a figure on the bed Robb and Theon had joined herself and Jon in the doorway to the room. 

Sansa, her beautiful Sansa, was tied to the bed, spread eagle for them all to see. As naked as the day she was born. Her cheeks were red and blotchy. There were tears streaming down her face, whether they were because she was relieved or scared, Margaery did not know but they set her into motion. 

She was the first of the three to move into the room properly and as she rushed to Sansa’s side, she acted as a switch waking the others up. Jon quickly grabbed a robe from the back of the door and gently covered Sansa’s battered body with it so as not to leave her completely without dignity. Theon and Robb set about untying her wrists and ankles from the bed posts. Margaery had climbed onto the bed beside Sansa’s head and was now gently cradling her face. 

Sansa’s face was blurry, Margaery’s eyes were swimming with tears. How had she let anyone do this to Sansa? How had she not seen that this was what Ramsay would do? Would Sansa ever be able to forgive her for not realising? Would she ever be able to forgive herself for what she had done, for what she hadn’t done?

The knowledge that Sansa had been left alone in such a horrifying position was almost enough to make her bawl her eyes out but she couldn’t do that now, not here.

“Sansa, my sweet, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. It’s okay now, you’re safe now. I promise you, you’re safe. We will protect you now. You’re safe.” 

She wasn’t sure who the words were for or who they were meant to soothe. Sansa or herself? Maybe both. 

When Sansa’s limbs were freed, Margaery lifted her frail body effortlessly. She brought Sansa’s body into her lap and genty put the dressing gown on her cold body. Sansa winced and Margaery’s heart broke a little more. It was like she was dressing a baby, she had to be so careful like any sudden movement could break her. Margaery brought Sansa’s head to her chest and hugged her close to her body, but not as tight as she wanted to because she was terrified of causing Sansa any more pain. 

It seemed that Sansa’s sobs had only doubled in force since they had entered the room. Her cries echoed horribly around the chamber, each acting like a dagger stabbing into Margaery’s heart. She felt so much pain at the sight of her disheveled friend but not nearly enough as what she imagined Sansa felt.

Sansa was ugly crying, Margaery couldn’t think of another way to describe it. She had never seen the Stark girl so broken, she had never seen Sansa allow her feelings to pour out of her body so forcefully, so completely. It was as if her damm had broken leaving her with nothing to stop the emotions escaping her body.

Sansa didn’t say anything, Margaery didn’t think she could say anything. Sansa simply gripped her arms around Margaery’s body. She held on so tightly, as if she was afraid Margaery would disappear if she were to let up. Afraid Marg would leave her alone again. Sansa’s sobs racked through her body, shaking herself and Margaery as they half sat -half lay on the bed she had so recently been tied to.

One of Margaery’s hands had found Sansa’s hair and was soothingly stroking through the limp strands, trying to elicit calmness onto the younger girl, despite feeling the opposite of calm herself. Margaery looked over the top of Sansa’s head and saw Theon in the corridor, he seemed to not be able to face the room. Robb was standing at the foot of the bed, looking more furious than she had ever seen him before. He was so angry, Margaery thought she could see his figure shaking, his fists were clenched and his jaw was locked as if it was taking all his strength to not rip the house to shreds. He looked just about ready to go strangle Ramsay in his hospital bed. Jon, on the other hand, was peering at Sansa through the locks of hair that had fallen into his face, looking so defeated. Margaery could tell he hated seeing his sister like this, so weak, so helpless. She could tell that he desperately wanted to look away. But he couldn’t, it was as if he was forcing himself to see what he had let happen to his baby sister. As if he thought this was the punishment he deserved. 

Margaery continued to stroke through Sansa’s hair and eventually, after about fifteen minutes of lying there she began to quieten. Although she was no longer violently crying, small silent shudders of Sansa’s body signified that Margaery couldn’t let her go, not that she wanted to. She would never leave her side ever again. Never let her go.

The silence was deafening, the only disturbances were Sansa’s small snuffles, which were muffled by Margaery’s top as she buried her head into the security provided by Marg’s sturdy figure. The boys had all sat down in various places around the room, each staring at a different spot but none of them were seeing anything, too deep in thought. Margaery lay with Sansa on the bed, she was clutching Sansa so tight. They were entangled together, Margaey tenderly trying to provide security to Sansa. Trying to convince herself that she wasn’t too late and she could still be there for Sansa.

After another ten minutes Robb stood and slowly walked over to the bed, he reached out and gently placed a hand on Sansa’s shoulder. She flinched away, clinging tightly to Margaery. Almost tight enough for the older girl to have trouble breathing. She had started crying again, Marg could feel her wet tears through her top. And this time Sansa was whimpering, “please no, please no, I can’t, I can’t, please don’t, not again, not again.”

“Hey, hey. Shhh. Sans, it’s ok it’s Robb. It’s just Robb,” Margaery whispered into her hair. 

She kept repeating her reasurances hoping that something would get through to Sansa. They seemed to work because after a little while Sansa loosened her grip slightly and turned away from Margaery’s breast to look at her brother. Recognition played across her face in slowmotion and she feebly reached out a hand to touch him. Without hesitation, he took it and held it delicately in between his strong, warm hands.

“Sansa, we need to get you to hospital to see a doctor, you need help,” Robb said in a soft voice, as if he was speaking to a stray dog.

Sansa shuddered and withdrew her hand from Robb’s grasp. She shook her head before burying her face in Margaery’s chest again. Robb looked lost. He made eye contact with Margaery, silently pleading with her to do something to convince Sansa to go to hospital. Trying to get her to see it was the best option for the stark girl right now.

“Sansa-” Jon tried to speak but he was cut off by Sansa.

“Please, Marg, tell them I can’t go, I- I can’t do it,” her voice hitched at the end as more tears leaked from her eyes onto Margaery.

Marg looked up worried at the Stark brothers and silently shook her head. She wouldn’t make Sansa go somewhere she didn’t want to, she owed it to the other girl. But what could they do now? If Sansa didn’t go to hospital then how could they ensure she would be okay?

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to go, we won't make you. But Sans, we have to do something, we need to take you home.”

She moved down so she could be face-to-face with Sansa, who was now lying on the bed. Margaery gently shifted Sansa’s damp hair so it was no longer covering her face. Her hand rested on Sansa’s cheek for a moment before moving to hold Sansa’s hand. Their hands now clasped in between them. Margaery slowly ran her thumb over Sansa’s knuckles before speaking.

“Let’s go to my house and we can clean you up and you can stay with me for a while. Is that ok? Can we do that?”

Sansa nodded hesitantly, as if the words were taking a long time to register with her. 

“Okay Sans, do you think you can sit up for me?”

Margaery had decided her best option was to take this very slowly. She had no idea how much the redhead could do and the last thing she wanted was to push her too far. 

“I think so.”

“If you can’t do anything let me know, it's all okay.”

Sansa nodded slightly, acknowledging the sentence and with that Margaery moved away from her. Standing at the side of the bed, holding out her arms to support Sansa. The northerner moved slowly, as if each move caused her pain. It probably did, Marg thought but quickly pushed that from her mind, right now she needed to focus on getting out of here. Once, Sansa was sitting at the edge of the bed she paused. Marg looked at her in concern, suddenly realising how little clothing she was wearing.

“Do you have any clothes to wear?”

She shook her head, “I don't know where he put them.”

A sharp intake of breath came from the corner of the room, Margaery looked up and met Theon’s eyes. With every moment that passed they all wanted to kill Ramsay more and more. The pain he had caused Sansa was unimaginable and they all knew that. 

She reached around her neck and pulled off her scarf wrapping it loosely around Sansa’s neck. It wasn’t much but there wasn’t much else she could have done to try and protect her from the cold.

“Sweetie, do you think that you can walk?”

Sansa shook her head. Her eyes on the floor, ashamed. Marg saw a few tears slip from her eyes onto her lap. She crouched down but did not touch her, Margaery didn’t want to cross the line, Sansa desperately needed someone to trust right now and she couldn’t cause any more torment by touching Sansa against her will, she’d had enough of that already. She looked into Sansa's face and patiently waited for the blue eyes to meet hers.

“Can one of us carry you to the car?”

There was a slight pause before she said, “Robb.”

His name was barely audible as it slipped past Sansa’s lips. Margaery signalled for him to come stand by Sansa and he took the lead from her.

“I’m going to pick you up now, is that ok?”

Sansa nodded, unable to say anything else. 

Margaery watched the exchange before moving out of their way. She moved to where Jon and Theon were standing and quietly asked them to unlock Theon’s car and get some blankets for Sansa and to put them across the back seat, where Sansa would sit in between Margaery and Robb. The two left immediately, thankful to finally have something to do. 

Tears began to prickle behind her eyes, Margaery took a deep breath before turning around again, she couldn’t break down when Sansa needed her to be strong right now. Robb picked Sansa up and she looked so small in his arms, so much like a sick child and Margaery almost couldn’t control the urge to break into tears. She swallowed before speaking.

“Sans is there anything I can get you before we go? I don’t think that we’ll come back here so if you want anything now’s the time to say. Of course I’ll give you clothes and soap and everything like that when we get home but is there anything else…?”

“No, I don’t have anything I want here.”

She nodded slightly and walked out the bedroom door, down the stairs and out of the house with Robb and Sansa following closely behind her. Margaery took a number of deep breaths when she got outside. Inside it felt like she was trapped in a cage, she couldn’t begin to think about what Sansa must have gone through. Her heart ached at the thought of Sansa having to face so much horror alone. She allowed a tear to trickle down her cheek before pulling herself together and opening the car door for Robb. 

She watched him carefully as he placed Sansa in the middle of the back seat, checking to make sure he didn’t need help and that no harm would come to Sansa. Then, she walked around and opened her door, sliding in next to a shivering Sansa. She tried to shut the door as quietly as possible but it still made the Stark girl jump and look around wildly for the danger. Margaery placed a soft hand on top of Sansa’s, tenderly stroking the skin there and she calmed the girl down a little. She offered her a weak smile before reaching down and pulling a blanket over Sansa’s legs and another over her shoulders. Her cut lips had turned blue in the brief minute they had spent outside, Margaery could see her body shivering even though the car heaters had been turned on. Sansa was so thin and frail it looked as though she might just fade into the seats and disappear. 

The only thing capable of soothing Margaery in that moment was the thought, playing in her head like a mantra, ‘we got Sansa out, we got her away, she’s going to be okay at home.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to have this update so soon, I'm working on chapter three right now but please leave any suggestions in the comments below. Thanks for reading xx


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margaey takes Sansa home to her house. Her and the boys try to help.

It was a half an hour drive to Margaery’s flat, they spent it in silence. The stillness seeped throughout the car, it embedded itself deep into each person's body. No one could face breaking it, so they didn’t. 

Sansa was staring straight ahead out through the windscreen, her hand still clasped tightly under Margaery’s. Tears slid down her face but she didn’t try to wipe them away. Maybe, Margaery thought, she didn’t know she was crying. The only words spoken in the car were Marg’s as she directed Theon to her house. 

Once they had arrived, Margaery let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in, they’d made it home, with Sansa. Sansa would be safe again here, where Margaery could look out for her and take care of her.

Everyone got out of the car, there was a heavy hush surrounding them. No one said a word as Robb lifted Sansa out into the cold night air. Sansa started shivering, exposed to the harsh temperature but Robb held her close and walked toward the doors that led to Margaery’s apartment. Marg was already there and had pressed her key into the lock, opening the doors. Thankfully she only lived on the first floor so Robb didn’t have to walk up too many stairs whilst carrying another body. Not that it seemed to have much of an impact on him, Sansa’s body was frail and diminished in his strong arms. On the landing at the top of the stairs, Marg unlocked her door, flicking on the lights as she entered. The others followed behind her, Theon bringing up the rear. Robb walked over to the sofa and set Sansa down on top of the cushions he reached out and grabbed one of Margaery’s blankets, opened it and handed it to Sansa.

“Thank you,” Sansa croaked. Her voice sounded broken and heavy, making Margaery’s heart ache.

Sansa’s voice broke the silence that had surrounded the group in the journey from Ramsay’s house. After clearing his voice, Theon said he would make them all some tea. He hurriedly backed out of the room, Margaery suspected because he didn’t want them all to see the tears brimming in his eyes. Jon, sharing Theon’s idea to leave the room, said that he would go collect Margaery’s car. She thanked him and handed over her keys. Robb went with him to the front door which left Margaery and Sansa alone. 

Her eyes rested on Sansa, her beautiful Sansa. The redhead looked like she was on the edge of a huge meltdown. Marg could see her bottom lip trembling and her hands curling around the edge of the blanket in her hands. So she walked over and sat down on the edge of the couch. Careful to leave Sansa enough space so as not to feel pressured but also close enough that she could comfort her if that was what Sansa wished.

Sansa’s eyes were jumping around the room, trying to find something to focus on. Something that would allow her to not completely burst into tears in front of Margaery. This was something the older girl noticed and it was what prompted her to ask:

“Sansa, darling can I come over to you?”

“Please,” was the meak reply.

That word seemed to be all she could bear to say, it was enough for Margaery though. She swiftly shuffled over to Sansa but when she reached her she paused, unsure of what Sansa wanted. Sansa’s small, around eyes blinked at her.

“Can you hold me please?”

Margaery let out a small breath. A soft, reassuring smile played on her face. There was nothing she wanted more.

“Yes of course I can, my sweet.”

Her arms stretched around Sansa, drawing the girl into her warmth. Sansa let her head fall onto Margaery’s shoulder, turning into her neck and breathing in deeply. Margaery began to feel Sansa’s body shake and the wetness on her neck confirmed that the younger girl was crying again. At loss of what else to do, Margaery ran her hands through Sansa’s hair making soothing sounds into Sansa’s ear. 

She thought she heard Robb walk past the living room and into the kitchen. Grateful to be alone with Sansa, she peppered kisses to the top of Sansa’s head. Hopefully she could pass some of her strength onto the small, feeble girl currently in her arms. It was a minute before Sansa finally spoke but it felt like a small eternity. 

“I feel so dirty,” she whimpered. 

Simply uttering that short phrase caused Sansa to break down completely. And somehow even more tears managed to come pouring from her eyes. This time was worse than earlier. This was so much worse. Horrible, loud sobs fell from Sansa’s mouth and her nails dug into Margaery’s arms. Not that she minded. Margaery could barely feel the little pinpricks of pain from Sansa’s nails with all her attention focused on the shaking girl in her arms. 

Sansa’s sobs got faster and faster until she was choking on each and every one of them. She couldn’t catch her breath and the tears were rolling down her face. She clung to Margaery’s arms and looked into her eyes begging for help. Sansa felt like she was trapped with no escape and she couldn’t breathe. 

“Sansa, Sansa stay with me. You can get through this, We can get through this.”

Margaery didn’t know if she fully believed her words but she knew she couldn’t say anything else. She couldn’t give up at the first hurdle. If she couldn’t manage to coax Sansa through a panic attack, how would she ever be able to properly care for the injured woman. So Margaery tried to soothe Sansa with her voice but Sansa was unable to focus on Marg because everywhere around her she could see him. 

Ramsay was leering over her. She saw his nightmarish smile as clear as day. Sansa could see Ramsay running across the room towards her, brandishing his fist. She imagined his voice as he screamed at her. Sansa pressed her eyes shut, Margaery’s face had morphed into his.

‘It’s not real, it’s not real,’ Sansa tried to convince herself but her mind wouldn’t listen to her. The cruel hallucinations didn’t go away when she opened her eyes again, they only seemed to get closer. Every noise was amplified and she could hear him moving around her. Sansa could smell him, her vision began to cloud, it was all too overwhelming.

“I can’t see,” Sansa choked on the air, panic spilling from her body into her voice, as she pleaded with Margaery, “help me, please Marg.”

“Concentrate on your breathing. Breathe with me Sansa. It will be over soon, I promise you.”

Margaery didn’t let her worry show in her voice, Sansa needed to be reassured that someone was in control (even though Marg had absolutely no control over what was happening), Sansa needed to believe that she was in safe hands. With someone who knew what to do. So that was who Margaery became.

Margaery led Sansa through a breathing exercise. She counted in for five, held her breath for five and exhaled for five. It seemed to have little effect on Sansa but Margaery continued, hoping that in time Sansa would gain enough control to be able to regulate her gulps. She continued the ritual and slowly she began to notice Sansa’s breaths evening out. Her slow numbers and deep breaths seemed to work and soon Sansa’s breathing was near enough to normal for Margaery to stop counting but Sansa didn’t let up her hold on Margaery. 

“Do you want to have a bath?” 

She looked into Sansa’s eyes searching for the answer, letting the younger girl know that whatever she wanted was perfectly alright and attainable. 

Sansa nodded in response. She felt so horrible, so contaminated, she wanted nothing more than to wash it all off her body right now. To wash away all Ramsay’s reminisce. She wanted to protect Margaery from seeing all he had done to her but she knew she was too weak to do it without help, she couldn’t spare Margaery the sight of her horrid body.

“Marg, can you… will you help me? I just, I don’t think I can do it alone,” she trailed off, not sure what to say. Gods, why would she even ask that, why would she make Margaery so uncomfortable? Sansa started to go back on her words, the last thing she wanted to do was rope Margaery into helping her. But before she could say that she would be able to manage alone if Marg didn’t want to wash her like a baby, Margaery took her face in her hands and spoke with such love and certainty. 

“Of course my love. I won't leave you alone unless you want me to.”

The pet names Margaery used lit a small fire of hope within Sansa, maybe she could be loved. If Margaery still used her nicknames even though Sansa had frozen her out and even though Sansa was no longer as pretty or healthy or happy as she had been, maybe things would be ok. Sansa sniffed and allowed Margaery to press a soft kiss to her brow. As she raised her head she met Margaery’s eyes and let herself find comfort in her gaze.

Then Robb walked back in carrying a tray with tea on it and Theon came, two steps behind him with a plate of cookies. They set them down on the coffee table in front of the sofas. And took seats in the two remaining armchairs. Margaery addressed the two boys.

“I’m going to go run Sansa a bath and get some towels ready.”

The boys nodded and Marg allowed herself to leave Sansa in their care whilst she walked towards her bedroom in search of some warm pyjamas that would fit Sansa. She found a pair of fuzzy blue ones with a little moon and stars embroidered on the left breast and brought them into the bathroom, where she hung them on the radiator so they’d be nice and warm by the time Sansa got out of the bath. 

A sigh escaped Margaery’s lips and she lent against the counter. This evening had been so draining and all she wanted was to cuddle up next to Sansa, holding her tight, and cry about all the northerner had been through. But she had to keep going, she couldn’t let herself be anything less than strong, it was what Sansa needed right now and whatever she needed Margaery would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, any suggestions you might have please comment below or if you just want to talk about the story so far please leave a comment and I'll try to respond as fast as I can. Also I was too excited to post this again because I finally got some free time to write so this is unchecked and I don't know if I will edit it so I apologise for any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I haven't proof read this yet and I probably wont get round to it so I'm sorry for any mistakes there may be.

Margaery had left Sansa in the bathroom to undress and get into the waiting warm water, she said she would be back in five minutes. 

Margaery had left the bathroom and gone into the living room, where Theon and Robb were talking. To give Sansa a little privacy for her to undress and climb into the waiting, warm water.

“I swear to the gods, if I ever get my hands on that scrawny little shit I’ll-” Theon stopped talking as Margaery re-entered the room, this allowed Robb a chance to finally speak.:

“It’s too late, what’s done is done, we just need to be here for Sansa right now. There’s nothing we can do. She needs us.”

“Robb’s right,” Margaery agreed. They couldn’t change what Ramsay had done, they could only ease Sansa’s road to recovery and help her to move on from him and his torture, “but what’s now?”

“I guess the next step is to get Sansa to a doctor and, you know, see what they have to say,” Theon answered, seeming to forget his previous call for action against Ramsay and now focusing on this question, “we should report it to the police.”

“Yes, I agree but we can’t do anything without telling Sansa first. She needs to be able to prepare herself for the intrusive questions and she needs to feel like she has control now, which won't be the case if we just make decisions without telling her.”

“Yeah, we can talk to her about it in the morning.”

“Theon and I can take her home with us tonight. I'll sleep on the sofa and she can take my bed. Sansa can live with us for a while. With Theon and me there she’ll always have someone,” Robb said, looking up at Margaery, who shook her head slightly.

“Robb, she can stay here, with me. You don’t know how long she might need to stay with you and there’s no way you can sleep on a sofa indefinitely. Also with three people living in your apartment it might get a bit cramped, I think she needs space right now and I have a spare room Sansa can use.”

“I suppose that makes sense, but are you really going to be okay with caring for her full time. It's going to be a big job and I don’t want you to take it if it will be too much. She’s my sister and I understand if you don’t want the responsibility. I’m sure we can work something out, if her staying will be too much.”

“I’m sure. She’s my best friend, I’d do anything for her. Besides, I’m not working at the moment and I can easily support the two of us on my inheritance so money won't be a problem. I’ll be able to take Sansa to appointments and keep an eye on her.”

“Are you really sure?”

“Yes of course and we live relatively close to each other so if anything happens you can get here really fast.”

Robb thought about it for a moment and then he nodded, “Ok, she’ll stay here. Thank you Margaery.”

“I’ll go check on Sansa now and put her to bed. If there’s anything you guys need then please take it, I think there are some leftovers in the fridge. So help yourselves. I’ll come back and we can talk some more once Sansa is in bed. Oh and the tv remotes are over there in front of the tv.”

Margaery turned and left Theon and Robb. She let out a breath, hopefully she had done the right thing and Sansa would want to stay with her. Judging from earlier, Sansa seemed pretty tired tonight and Margaery doubted if she could go to Robb and Theon’s flat even if she wanted to. She made her way along the short corridor back to the bathroom. Outside, she paused and lightly knocked on the door.

“Sans can I come in?”

A muffled yeah came from inside so Margaery opened the door slightly and walked into her decently sized bathroom. Sansa was standing, completely bare, in front of the mirror staring at her hideously scarred body. She stood in the center of the room assessing herself. 

The sight before Margaery shocked her but she refused to let that show on her face. She tried not to let the immense sadness seep through her facade as she gazed at Sansa’s tattered form. In the dimly lit room in Ramsay’s house she hadn’t been able to see the full extent of Sansa’s scars but now she could see them all and she didn’t like what she saw. So much of Sansa’s skin was covered in ugly red blotches and scars from belt clasps. There were other marks too but Margaery couldn’t identify their causes. Purple bruises littered Sansa’s thighs, a small barely audible gasp escaped Margaery’s mouth as she saw the dried blood which stemmed from in between her legs.

Margaery realised that she must have been staring for too long and dragged her eye’s away from the signs of torture spanning all down Sansa’s back and legs. Sansa hadn’t moved a muscle since Margaery entered the room, she was anxiously waiting for Margaery to say something. In the mirror Marg made eye contact with Sansa, she tried to form words but they died away when she saw the apprehension and terror in Sansa’s eyes. What could she possibly say that would mean anything. It was Sansa who ended up breaking the silence, her voice was croaky. 

“I’m sorry you have to see me like this. I look like a monster.”

Margaery shook her head, tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Sansa, don’t. Don’t say that please. You don’t look like a monster. You look hurt and that’s not something to apologize for. So please don’t. I will never think any less of you because of what he did. Do you understand me Sansa?”

Slowly Sansa nodded and Marg took a couple of steps forward. She stopped a little away from Sansa, waiting for her to turn around. Sansa turned facing her back to the mirror. She stood on display to Margaery, too tired to try to maintain her dignity. Sansa knew that Marg would never say anything hurtful or mean about her body, this was Sansa’s way of showing that she trusted the woman opposite her beyond belief. She didn’t cover herself, Margaery would be able to see the deformities anyway.

Margaery reached up a hand to cup Sansa’s cheek. She wiped away the tears Sansa hadn’t been aware she had shed. The soft palm of her hand lingered on Sansa’s wet cheek for a moment. She tucked a strand of matted red hair behind Sansa’s ear before letting her hand drop to where Sansa’s hands were fidgeting nervously. Sansa allowed Marg to take her hand and lead her towards the warm water. Margaery touched the surface of the water, checking the temperature as a mother would for her child. Satisfied she shook the water off her hand and gently met Sansa’s eyes.

“Are you ready to get in?”

“Yes.”

Sansa placed one foot into the tub and then the other, resting her weight on Margaery’s outstretched arms. Gradually, Marg lowered Sansa into the water. Carefully watching Sansa’s reactions, to ensure the temperature wasn’t too much for the redhead. Once she was sitting, with the water reaching up to just above her breasts, Margaery made to move away but Sansa caught her wrist. 

“Can you come in with me?”

Sansa stared at the tiled floor as she realised what she had just asked. Fear flooded her body, had she really just said that? Oh gods. Why couldn’t she control herself? That was a totally absurd question to ask. Thankfully, though, Sansa wasn’t able to stew in her doubtful thoughts for longer than a couple of seconds because Margaery quickly replied to her stupid question,

“Yes of course, I can.”

Margaery pulled the hand off of her wrist and kissed it before letting go and beginning to undress. Suddenly embarrassed, Sansa stared straight ahead at the wall in front of her. She didn’t look away from that spot until Margaery was standing beside the bath as naked as Sansa was. It was a wonder to Sansa how she managed to keep her composure long enough for Marg to slip into the bath behind her. Sansa had always been the person who blushed in the changing rooms when surrounded by half undressed girls but now even though she was sitting beside her stark naked best friend she didn’t even think of the connotations. 

A soft, wet hand rested on her shoulder, drawing Sansa into the warm body behind her until her back was flush against Margaery’s front. Sansa gasped slightly as the contact.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Sansa breathed, she felt comfort in Marg’s arms and allowed herself to slowly relax into her embrace. A sigh fell from Margaery’s lips and she brought her arms to rest on Sansa’s stomach, supporting her body. This was the closest Sansa had been to someone voluntarily in a very long time and it felt so good to relax in the security. Sansa’s head fell back onto Marg’s shoulder as it became too heavy for her. Gods, she was physically and mentally exhausted. If it hadn’t been for Margaery, Sansa doubted she would have managed to get washed. 

They lay in that odd position for a while until Margaery broke the stillness by reaching out for the flannel resting on the edge of the tub. She doused the cloth in water before slowly running it along the top of Sansa’s chest and her shoulders. Neither spoke as Margaery cleaned Sansa’s tired body. She was so careful with each movement, trying to not cause any pain whenever she ran over a cut or a scar, which was quite often. 

After washing Sansa’s torso, Margaery lathered her hands in shampoo and motioned for Sansa to sit away from her as she washed her hair. Margaery’s deft fingers pressed in small circles into Sansa's scalp as she gently massaged the bubbles in. The slight pressure of Margaery’s fingertips on her head made Sansa relax even more. She was safe here with Margaery caring for her. Marg rinsed the shampoo out of her hair using a cup from the side. The warm water trickled down Sansa’s face and back and when all the shampoo was washed out, Margaery put some conditioner in her hands. She focused on the ends of the long strands slowly moving her way up towards Sansa’s scalp. Margaery detangled each knott with her fingers as best she could. After she had removed all the major knots from Sansa’s hair Margaery rinsed through it all again. She leaned over and placed the cup on the side of the bath before drawing Sansa back into her body. Lots of the sudz that had left Sansa’s hair were now on her body so Marg took the cloth and quickly wiped Sansa again. Eventually, it got to the point where Margaery had washed all of Sansa’s torso and done her hair, she hesitated before asking,

“Can I wash in between your legs too?”

Sansa froze. Her body went rigid against Margaery’s at the mere thought of anyone touching her there again. But she immediately felt warm arms holding her tight again. They stopped her from hyperventilating and their gentle squeeze reminded her that she was safe here with Margaery. Marg would never hurt her like Ramsay had. Even so, she didn’t think she could bear to be touched down there so soon.

“I’m sorry Sans. I’m so sorry.”

Margaery nuzzled her face into the crook of Sansa’s neck and pressed light kisses to the pale skin there. She didn’t want to remind Sansa of any of the things she had been through recently, there was no way she would touch her anywhere without permission, she wanted to make sure Sansa understood that. She wanted Sansa to know that she held the reins and could tell Margaery if anything got too much and Marg would instantly stop.

“I- it’s ok but can I do it instead?”

Margaery exhaled a small sigh of relief, she hadn’t pushed too far and Sansa hadn’t recoiled, “Of course, I’ll get out and go change and leave you to it. Is that okay?”

Sansa nodded.

Margaery tenderly placed another kiss against Sansa’s neck before she pushed Sansa away and got out of the bath. She draped her towel around her body and turned to look at Sansa. 

“It’ll just take me a minute to get changed and I’ll knock on the door when I’m done. You finish up here but please don’t get out of the bath without me here to help just in case.”

Sansa nodded again. 

She smiled sweetly and walked towards the door, closing it softly behind her. Once outside Margaery paused, had that really just happened? She had just had a bath with Sansa Stark, what the hell? Would it continue to happen or was it just a one off thing because Sansa was still so drained from the past couple of months? Did she want it to happen again? Yes. The answer shocked Margaery, she couldn’t think about that, not with Sansa so broken. All the unwanted questions flooded Margaery’s mind, almost overpowering her. It didn’t matter, she resolved. Margaery was prepared to do anything and everything for Sansa, no matter if this would happen again in the future. She pushed away from the shut door and let the questions leave her head. She would only ever do what Sansa was comfortable with.

Margaery went to her room, changed and returned to the door of the bathroom dressed in sweats and a jumper. She gave the door a short knock and waited. No answer. Her heart sped up a little as she knocked once more. Still nothing. 

“Sansa?” Margaery tried to regulate her voice and stay collected, everything was probably fine. But still there was no answer. A little more worried now, Margaery inched the door open slightly. At the sight of Sansa’s head resting against the head of the bathtub she opened the door further. Sansa, it seemed, had fallen asleep. Unsure, Margaery stepped into the room. Should she wake her? She didn’t want to scare the younger girl and startle her awake but Margaery didn’t know what else to do. If she left Sansa there, she would get cold. And it was really uncomfortable to sleep there for a long time. So she spoke in a clear voice,

“Sansa?”

It worked and Sansa woke up. The Stark girl opened her eyes quickly. For a brief moment there was panic in her eyes as she tried to recall where she was. But then she locked eyes with Margaery and let out a small sob of relief.

“I didn’t know where I was.”

Sansa tried to explain to Margaery upon noticing the worry in her eyes. She couldn’t help the few more tears, which fell from her eyes. She was safe here. It was a hard thought to remember after being terrified for so long. Margaery still looked a little worried but she seemed to decide to forget it for the moment in favour of helping Sansa out the bath.

“Ready to come out?”

Margaery reached for the towel and held it out for Sansa. Sansa rose to a standing position and stepped out of the bath into Margaery’s open arms. She allowed herself a short moment to remain in Margaery’s strong hold. But before long she began to feel the cold on her wet body and pulled away, drying herself. 

Sansa got dressed into the warm pyjamas Margaery had laid out for her earlier. After, Marg handed her a toothbrush, it was new, straight out of the packaging. 

They left the bathroom and Sansa held onto Margaery’s arm as she led her to the spare bedroom. The heaters were on and the bed was neatly made. Margaery turned around to Sansa.

“Is this room okay for you? I’m just next door if you need me. There’s water on the table and there are extra blankets at the foot of the bed if you need them.”

“Thank you Margaery.”

Marg pulled Sansa into a soft embrace. They stood there for a moment and Margaery murmured, “You don’t need to thank me, Sans. I’d do anything for you.” 

Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, shouldn’t have hinted to Sansa how much she loved her. But it was true, so why not say it? Maybe Sansa hadn’t heard it, even if she did she probably wouldn’t think anything of it - which would be best. Margaery didn’t need to confuse Sansa with her feelings. 

Marg stepped back and then helped Sansa into bed. She pulled the covers aside and watched Sansa crawl beneath them. Once Sansa was covered and tucked in Margaery sat down on the edge. Her fingers reached up to brush through Sansa’s hair, it was still really wet, she frowned.

“Your hair is soaking? Do you want me to put it in a plait?”

“Only if you don’t mind.”

“Okay, sit up and turn around. I’ll just do a quick braid to keep it out of your face in the night.”

Margaery reached for the brush on the bedside table and began to slowly run it through Sansa’s hair. IIt didn’t take very long before she had finished brushing Sansa’s hair. Margaery separated it into three sections and twisted them together. The braid reached halfway down Sansa’s back when it was complete. Marg secured it with a band from her wrist.

Sansa fell back into the pillows and offered Margaery a tired smile.

“Do you want me to leave the hall light on?”

“Please.”

Marg got up and turned off the main light but she left the door a quarter of the way open. She turned back to the room, able to see it fairly well in the hall light. Marg took careful steps back towards the bed and sat again on the edge. Sansa reached out and took her hand. It made Marg smile, even though Sansa couldn’t see it.

“Remember, I’m right next door and if you need me don’t worry about waking me, okay? I’ll stay with you until you sleep.”

“Thank you Marg.”

It didn’t take long before Sansa’s breathing transitioned into the heavy breaths of sleep. But Margaery stayed a little while longer after. She traced lines on the back of Sansa’s hand and followed the rise and fall of her chest with her eyes. Marg found herself looking down on Sansa’s face, it showed no emotion. No sadness, no fear, no worry. Just this face of sleep. It was soothing to see. To watch Sansa not be contorted with memories was what Margaery needed. She cried a little as she thought about all Sansa had been through. Only small tears since she didn’t wish to wake Sansa from her peaceful state.

“My poor girl. I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner but I promise I’ll never let that happen again. I promise you, my love, I’ll never leave you again. I promise.”

Margaery planted a soft kiss to Sansa’s forehead, disentangled their hands and retreated from the room. She looked one last time at Sansa’s sleeping form and let out a breath. It was all going to be okay. Marg turned around and almost squealed in surprise because Jon was standing behind her.

“You really care for her don’t you?”

Jon had always been straight to the point. In his mind there was no reason to skirt around questions when he could just come right out with it. But even though she knew of this quality of his, it still surprised her and made her slightly uneasy.

“I um, Sansa's my best friend.”

“But it’s more than that isn’t it. You love her.”

Marg stood there dumbfounded, how was she supposed to reply to that. Margaery wasn’t used to being read so easily. There was no way for her to deny it, she loved Sansa Stark.

“Yes.”

The word slipped out of her mouth. She didn’t realise until too late what she was admitting to, she loved Sansa Stark. Marg guessed she had always known, but to finally admit it to herself and to another person (Sansa’s brother - of all people!). 

“Good. I know you’ll take good care of her,” Jon said with a serious tone. He had hated all the other boys who had claimed they ‘loved’ Sansa but Margaery, Margaery was good. She would take care of Sansa, he knew it and so did Robb and so did Theon. And then he remembered why he had come looking for Margaery in the first place and held out his hand, “here are your keys, I parked your car just outside. I’m going to go home now but if anything happens please call me immediately. And keep me updated on Sansa if you can. Thanks.”

It wasn’t a question but Margaery thought she should answer it anyway,“yes, I will. Goodnight Jon.”

“Goodnight Margaery.”

Jon turned and walked down the hallway, into the living room and out the front door. When it closed Margaery started to make her way into the living room where Robb and Theon were still sitting. The tv was on but neither were watching it. 

“How is she?”

“She’s asleep in the spare room.”

“Didn’t she want anything to eat?”

“No she was exhausted, I’m surprised she even managed to have the bath without collapsing from tiredness.”

“Okay, well it’s late and we should be going. But Margaery you have our numbers, if anything happens please call us. I’ll come around in a few days to discuss what’s next. Sansa seems washed out and could probably use some extra sleep and food in the meantime.”

“Goodnight Robb, Theon. Drive safe.”

“Goodnight,” they said together.

She accompanied them to the door and watched them go down the stairs before returning to her apartment and shutting the door. Gods, what a day it had been, she needed to go to sleep now. She was so tired and drained. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Sansa must have felt. 

Letting out a sigh, Marg pushed herself off the door and made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and drain the bath. She hung up hers and Sansa’s towels and put the bottles of body lotion, shampoo and conditioner back in their place. 

When she got to her room, Marg practically fell onto her bed and barely managed to crawl under the covers before she fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa wakes up frightened in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of quarantine (and homework that I'm procrastinating doing) I've got more time on my hands and hopefully I'll get more time to write.

Sansa’s eyes snapped open. She was covered in a cold sweat from head to toe and her body was trembling. Sansa’s heart felt like it was pounding 300 beats per minute. She was confused and scared. She had dreamt she was back at Ramsay’s house. She was in his cold dark bedroom cowering in the corner. It had felt so real and she could still feel the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles together. Every time she tried to scream no sound left her mouth. She was screaming and crying out for help but nobody was coming for her. 

In the nightmare the dark silhouette of Ramsay was walking towards her. Every footfall seemed to reverberate through her body. In his hands he held the sharp knife he frequently used to mark her body. It gleamed in the moonlight that creeped into the room through the blinds covering the windows. To Sansa, on the floor, the knife seemed to grow in size and she watched Ramsay point it towards her, she couldn’t escape it. There was no way for her to run away from it. She was trapped against the walls. He kept advancing. He got closer and closer. Sansa looked up, into her captor’s face. His devilish smile leered down at her. Sansa was pleading with him, desperately trying to get him to stop. But her futile attempts just made him laugh, a hollow laugh that echoed around the cold room. Ramsay had stopped just in front of her. He reached out his hand and brushed it, possessively, along her cheek, over the top of one of her bruises. Sansa jolted awake just as he pressed down hard on the bruise. 

She sat up in bed, her breathing was laboured and her eyes were frantically searching the room. Sansa didn’t recognise her surroundings, tall dark shapes jumped out at her from the darkness. Fear struck through Sansa’s body as she heard rushed footsteps coming from the hallway. Within a matter of seconds Sansa was out of bed and on her feet. She faced the doorway waiting for Ramsay to enter. He had come back to get her, she was foolish to think she could escape him. He would always find her.

Sansa had nothing to protect herself from him, so she stumbled backwards until she hit a wall. Her door was pushed the rest of the way open and the light from the hallway impared her vision. Sansa could see a person in the doorway, she couldn’t take anymore of Ramsay’s torture. She was certain he would kill her this time. 

In her panicked state, Sansa slid down the wall until she reached the floor. She curled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her legs. Maybe if she made herself small enough he would just leave her alone. She made no attempt to plead with him anymore, she knew it wouldn’t change anything. Let him rape me, she thought. Nothing I do will stop it.

Vaguely, Sansa was aware of a woman’s voice calling her name. It got closer and closer until she felt the presence of another person above her. Sansa didn’t look up, she couldn’t bear to look into Ramsay’s face again. When the person crouched down in front of her, Sansa flinched away. Maybe she could pass through the wall and he wouldn’t be able to get to her.

“Sansa, it’s me. It’s Margaery. You’re safe here, whatever you dreamt is not real. You’re safe now.”

It took a minute for the words to register with Sansa. Her brain seemed to be working at half its normal rate. Was that Marg’s voice? Was Marg the one crouching in front of her? Slowly Sansa raised her head from between her legs and she could see the fuzzy outline of someone in front of her. The tears she hadn’t realised she’d shed hindered her vision.

“Marg?”

Sansa’s voice was croaky. It felt like she had been screaming and had used up all the power in her voice. She blinked away the tears and Margaery’s face came into focus. Relief flooded through Sansa, Margaery was here. Margaery was here. She had only imagined Ramsay, he was gone now. Margaery would protect her. 

“Marg,” she repeated, unsure that she wasn’t imagining her presence too.

“Yes, Sansa, it’s me. I’m here.”

“Oh, Marg!” Sansa cried in relief and she flung herself into Margaery’s arms.

Sansa relished in Marg’s warm hold, it was so secure. She could really believe she was safe with Marg there. There was no hesitation from Margaery, she let Sansa hold onto her. She let the northern girl take all the comfort she could get from her body. Marg ran her hands through Sansa’s hair and gently rocked her back and forth like she would with a baby.

“Sans, did you have a nightmare? I heard you screaming.”

“Yes,” Sansa nuzzled her head into the crook of Margaery’s neck. “I dreamt I was back there, in the room. He- He was walking towards me- with a knife,” she paused again and let out a shuddery breath, “I was so scared Marg. I tried to call out but I couldn’t make any sound. Nobody came for me.”

“Oh, Sans. It’s ok now, it will be ok. I’m here.”

Margaery had stopped the rocking as she listened to Sansa but now she started again. Sansa was lying on the floor with her body slanted so she could rest her head on Margaery’s chest. She focussed on Marg’s heart beat and tried to match her uneven breaths with the older woman. Margaery’s hold on Sansa stayed strong until she pulled away and lifted Sansa’s face so they made eye contact. Sansa looked up into Margaery’s face, confused.

“Come on, let's go back to bed.”

Sansa nodded. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep in this room but she didn’t want to worry Margaery or keep her awake. Sansa was terrified that sleep would come for her and take her back to the nightmare, what if she couldn’t escape this time? What if Margaery didn’t come for her?

They both stood up and Margaery reached out for Sansa’s hand. She squeezed it slightly before leading the redhead towards the door. Their way was guided by the light streaming into the room. At the door Sansa stopped and Margaery turned around, worried.

“Sans what’s wrong?”

“I, umm- where are you going?”

She stumbled over her words, confused as to why Marg wasn’t taking her back to the guest bed she had slept in.

“We’re going to my bed. You didn’t think I’d leave you alone after that, did you?”

Sansa nodded her head. She stared at the floor, embarrassed, about what she didn’t know. She felt Margaery’s warm hand on her chin, lifting her head.

“Sansa. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through and I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been. I wasn’t there for you when I should have been but I’m sure as hells gonna be here for you now. I shouldn’t have left you alone tonight, look what happened. I want to be next to you when you wake from nightmares, I never want you to wake up scared or alone again. And I can only be there for you if you’re next to me. So let’s go back to bed now.”

Sansa smiled softly when Margaery finished speaking. She didn’t want to be alone and she was so thankful that Marg could tell that without Sansa having to admit it out loud. So, when Marg tugged on her hand to lead her out of the room, Sansa followed without hesitation. 

The bedside light in Marg’s room was on and the covers had been thrown back in a hurry, they had almost fallen off the bed, indicating how desperate Marg had been to get to her. At the sight of it Sansa felt guilt tug at her conscience. She had woken Marg from her sleep in the middle of the night like a pathetic child. She had disrupted her sleep because she was too weak to handle a scary dream. Sansa noticed the alarm clock on the bedside table, it read 02:34.

“I’m so sorry for waking you up so late.”

“Hey, stop that. I don’t care what time it is. I care about you more than a stupid alarm clock.”

Sansa tried to smile at Margaery’s words but she couldn’t bring herself too. Margaery always used to get annoyed at anyone who disrupted her sleep, especially if it was Loras. Sansa remembered one time she had slept over at Marg’s house and they had been up late the night before and in the morning she was woken by Margaery screaming the house down because Loras had, “barged into my room and woken me from my precious sleep for no FUCKING REASON!” And now Marg was pretending like it didn’t matter. Sansa didn’t want to be treated like that, she didn’t want Marg to lie to her or pretend it didn’t matter. 

As if she could sense what Sansa was thinking, Marg said, “Really, Sans. I can catch up on sleep any time, you matter more.”

Sansa didn’t answer, she still felt guilty and was thankful when Margaery let the subject go. 

“Come on. Into bed with you.”

Margaery motioned to her queen-sized bed with the hand that wasn’t interlaced with Sansa’s. Marg let go of her and Sansa moved forward and climbed into the bed. She reached to the foot of the bed and grasped the duvet, pulling it back over herself. It was warm and smelt like Margaery. Marg’s scent was almost overpowering, it was so strong in her bedroom. She smelt like roses and it reminded Sansa that she was with someone who cared about her now. 

The mattress was memory foam but not too soft that she felt like the bed was eating her up. It was perfect, of course it was, Sansa wouldn’t have expected anything else from Margaery. 

Sansa slithered over to the side furthest from the door and lay watching Margaery move about the room.

Marg had opened her closet and was searching for something, she couldn’t see what until Marg made a triumphant squeal and stood up. She closed the doors and showed Sansa the teddy bear in her arms. It looked old and tired, the colour had faded from the bear. He had a little bowtie around his neck. Sansa recognised him as Mr Teddy, Margaery’s childhood bear she had been given by her grandmother when she was born. When they were younger Margaery used to sleep with him and as she got older she moved him to her bookshelf, in pride of place. 

Marg walked over to the bed and climbed in. She brought the covers up around her body and sighed in pleasure as the warmth provided by the duvet encased her. Sansa chuckled at the sight of Margaery facing her, with only her head poking out from the blanket and her arms wrapped around the teddy bear. 

“Hey, don’t laugh at me!”

“Is that Mr Teddy? I didn’t know you still had him.”

“Of course I still have him!” Margaery said with mock outrage, “how dare you insinuate I would ever give him away. Sansa Stark I can’t believe you’d think so low of me.”

Sansa laughed again. Maybe not everything had changed. Maybe they could still have the joking relationship she had missed so dearly. Maybe Ramsay wouldn’t constantly be looming over everything she did.

“Here,” Marg reached out and gave Sansa the bear, “he makes everything feel better, trust me.”

“Thank you.”

Margaery simply smiled in reply. Sansa held the bear close to her and relished in how nice it felt to hug something, if only the bear could hug her back. 

“Do you want me to leave the light on?” 

Sansa looked away from the bear, Margaery was motioning to the bedside lamp. 

“No, it’s okay.”

Marg looked unsure so Sansa continued, “the hall light is on and besides, I have Mr Teddy to protect me now.”

Marg giggled at the last part and nodded. She turned over to switch the light off. Sansa felt a rush of panic run through her body in the new darkness but it was gone in an instant when her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark.

“Is this ok?”

“Yeah. It’s good.”

For a while there was silence as each lay in bed. Margaery was facing the ceiling, trying to think of a way to break the awkwardness that had sprung up between the two. How could she get closer to Sansa without it seeming weird or scaring Sansa away? 

Sansa was also on her back, thinking much the same thing. She wanted to feel Margaery’s strong arms around her body, she wanted the security that came with Marg’s tight embrace but she didn’t know how to ask for it. She had already taken too much from Margaery, I mean I literally forced my way into her home and into her bed! I can’t just say ‘oh hey Marg, can you spoon me, I want to feel your warmth?’ That would be too weird.

After a while, Margaery shuffled onto her side, facing Sansa. She spoke softly, “Sans, you still awake?”

“Yeah,” came the soft reply.

“What are you thinking about?”

“You.”

She wasn’t sure what made her say it, maybe it was because she felt so comfortable and warm in the bed or maybe it was because she was so exhausted and no longer able to filter what she said but whatever the reason, it didn’t matter anymore because she had said it. 

It was a couple minutes before Margaery replied and Sansa was beginning to hope that Marg hadn’t heard her but she had.

“I’m thinking about you too.”

Sansa didn’t know what to say to that, was there anything she could say? So she didn’t say anything and let the silence fall between them again.

“Sans?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you come here?”

“What do you mean?” 

Sansa held her breath, what was Margaery trying to say?

“Can you come closer to me? I want to be next to you.” 

Margaery’s voice was soft and sleepy but there was a hint of nervousness in there. As if she was worried that Sansa might say no. 

Sansa didn’t say anything in reply to Marg’s question. Instead, she shuffled to the middle of the bed and reached out for Marg’s hand. The warm fingers that held onto her hand made Sansa sigh. She loved the comfort and ease that came with Margaery’s touch but she wanted more than just hand holding. Sansa let out a breath and worked up the courage to ask for more.

“Um, Marg? Uh would you mind if, um, if you held me?”

The last part of the question came out so quietly, Margaery barely heard it. In the faint light that entered her room, she could see Sansa looking away from her, abashed. Maybe it was the look on Sansa’s face, or maybe it was the longing for contact that made Margaery say yes.Whatever the reason, she let go of Sansa’s hand and slid right next to her. There was little to no space in between them and she could feel Sansa’s breath on her face. Gently, Margaery reached out and put a little pressure on Sansa’s shoulder, encouraging her to turn around. Sansa let out a breath she had been holding and turned her back to Margaery. She felt Margaery move her body flush against Sansa. Marg’s arm snaked around her middle, found and held on tightly to her hand.

The feel of Marg’s warm body against her own was enough to make Sansa let out a whimper. She had longed to be away from Ramsay for so long and now that she was safe it was almost too much for her to believe. 

Sansa didn’t know when she started crying, maybe she had always been crying. Sansa tried to stop the tears that fell down her cheeks and silent shudders took over her body. She curled in on herself, bringing her knees up to her chest, in an attempt to hide her tears from Margaery. But the southerner simply followed Sansa’s lead and she brought her legs up behind Sansa’s, keeping them together. 

Sansa was cocooned in Margaery’s body. They were snugly pressed against each other. Neither said anything about Sansa’s tears but she felt Margaery reassuringly squeeze her hand. Sansa let her eyes fall closed, she could feel the tears seeping past her closed eyelids but didn’t try to stop them. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe here with Margaery. Sansa could let the tears fall and Marg wouldn’t say anything about them. Margaery would never judge her. 

In Marg’s soothing embrace Sansa let herself drift off into sleep. This time it was dreamless and both girls slept for the rest of the night, neither moved from the other’s grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you all liked it. I really am sorry for any mistakes I made but I genuinely tried to fix them all this time because I know how annoying it can be to find a mistake in the work. Please comment your thoughts/opinions on this and anything you want to see in the future. (also if you have any unrelated sansaery prompts I'd love to hear them - I'm trying to write more at the moment)


	6. Chapter 6

It was early in the morning when Sansa woke, the room around her was illuminated by a soft glowing light and everything was still. A calm sense of reassurance hung in the air around her. The curtains were fluttering softly in the breeze that entered the room. It washed softly over Sansa’s exposed arm and fluttered around her face pressing light kisses to her cheeks. She was loath to break the aura. 

Sansa could feel Margaery’s warm body behind hers. Her arm was still draped over Sansa’s waist and her body was curled into Sansa’s back, they fit snugly together. At some point whilst they slept their hands had separated and Sansa felt a small pang of sadness when she realised this. It wasn’t a big thing but the reassurance that came with holding Margaery’s hand was big enough for her to try and rectify this. Slowly, in an attempt to preserve this tranquil moment, she reached out her hand and brushed it over Margaery’s soft skin. Her fingers danced over Marg’s knuckles ever so briefly before she began to move her hand away again. A small breath escaped Sansa as she watched Margaery’s hand in awe as it stretched out. Her fingers were searching for Sansa’s and when they found hers, Marg let out a pleased murmur. She closed her hand around Sansa’s and stilled again. A whisper of a smile landed on Sansa’s lips and she closed her eyes, falling back into sleep, with their hands tangled together.

The next time Sansa woke it was later and the sun was shining in through the open window. Outside she thought she could hear a faint bird song. She allowed it to wash over her body and she gently felt herself coming into consciousness. As she became aware of her surroundings, Sansa noticed the absence of Margaery’s warm body next to her and she turned over looking for the brunette. Margaery’s side of the bed was empty and the covers had been pulled back. More alert now, Sansa sat up in bed but almost immediately regretted it. She felt a sharp pain in her lower back as she put her weight on her bum. Sansa winced audibly and shuffled back to lie on the bed as she had been moments ago. 

The lovely morning facade had been broken as Sansa remembered why she ached and the images of her grotesque body flooded her mind. She grimaced at the memory of Margaery seeing all her bruises, cuts and scars. What must she think of me? How could she bear to sleep next to a monster? 

Sansa lay and stared at the ceiling willing herself not to burst into tears again. She had cried too much in the last day and had to pull herself together. Come on! Stop being such a bloody baby. She sniffed and continued to look up, waiting for the tears to go away. It was then that she heard footsteps walking down the corridor towards the bedroom. Sansa looked to the half opened door and watched as it slowly opened wider to reveal Margaery’s back, she was slightly hunched over what looked like a tray in her arms. As she turned around, Sansa realised that she had two plates and two mugs on the tray.

“Oh good, you’re awake. I was just about to come in and get you up. I made breakfast. I figured you must be hungry.” Sansa’s stomach gave an answering growl and Margaery chuckled lightly. “I see I was not mistaken.”

“No.” Sansa smiled back at Margaery. 

Marg walked further into the room and carefully set the tray down on the bed in between them. Then she crawled under the covers again and turned to look down on Sansa. “Come on sleepy head, you can hardly eat lying down.”

Sansa nodded in answer and pushed herself up on her arms. Marg reached behind her to rearrange the pillows and looked expectantly at Sansa, who made no move to take her body weight off her arms. Sansa stayed hovering slightly above the bed. She was too scared of the pain to sit down properly.

“Sans, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that it hurts a bit when I sit down.”

As she finished talking Sansa illustrated her point by easing herself back onto the bed. She winced as her but and legs made contact with the mattress, earning a sympathetic glance from Margaery.

“Oh sweetie, is there something I do?”

“No, it’s just at first touch, I’ll get used to it.” 

“Really?”

Sansa tried to reassure her by painting a smile on her face and changing the topic, “you didn’t have to make me breakfast.”

“I wanted to.”

She spoke the words as if they were merely a passing comment. Sansa could see that Margaery didn’t notice just how much that meant to her. It had been so long since anyone had done something for her. Sansa felt briefly overwhelmed with gratitude towards her friend. Her thoughts were interrupted by Margaery turning around and handing Sansa a plate with a slice of toast and jam. 

“The pink cup is yours.”

“Thank you.”

They lapsed into a quiet contentment. Sansa finished her toast and sipped on her tea. It was chamomile and Sansa loved it. She had come to associate this taste with the Tyrells because the first time she had tried it was just after they had become friends and Margaery invited her around for a sleepover. In the morning when she woke they both walked downstairs and immediately Sansa was plied with tea.

“Here, have some more.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course, eat as much as you want.”

So, Sansa took another piece of toast and bit into it. She knew the jam was Olenna Tyrell’s homemade brand, it was perfectly sweet and she wouldn’t expect Margaery to eat anything else. It had little clumps from a fruit she didn’t recognise in it but they were delicious all the same. Sansa hadn’t eaten a proper breakfast for months. Ramsay wouldn’t let her, he didn’t want her getting fat. Thinking about Ramsay reminded Sansa of the real reason she was at Margaery’s. She hoped that Margaery couldn’t see her tense at the reminder. Sansa’s voice came out a little shaky as she asked, “Marg, what happens now?”

She kept her eyes trained on the floor and she knew Margaery understood what she was talking about. Marg gently took Sansa’s plate from her hands and placed it on the tray. She felt Margaery sit up and place the tray on the floor. The mattress dipped lower as the brunette shifted towards the middle of the bed. Her arms opened and Marg gestured for Sansa to move into them. And ever so slowly the younger girl inched her way back down to lie in the open arms. 

Sansa lay with her head on Margaery’s breast for about a minute before Marg spoke, “you don’t have to worry anymore. You know that right?.”

She didn’t know how to answer that. So she didn’t. Instead Sansa moved a little, so she was mostly lying on top of Margaery on her stomach. And with dainty fingers she traced over the little rose on Marg’s collar bone. Sansa could feel Margaery watching her but she didn’t stop or explain what she was doing. She just drew over the flower. Marg had gotten it on Sansa’s 18th birthday. Together they went to the best tattoo parlour in King’s Landing, it was Margaery’s birthday present to her. She paid for the small direwolf Sansa got on her hip and at the same time she got this one. The direwolf was the first and only tattoo Sansa has ever gotten. Her mother wasn’t too pleased when she found out about it and she blamed “that Tyrell girl” for dragging her precious daughter down that path, but Sansa didn’t care, she loved it. It reminded her of Margaery and better, simpler times.

She began to talk hesitantly, pausing after every sentence, “When things started to get bad with him, just after I moved in, I would trace my wolf and think of you. It gave me the strength to continue, knowing that I had a piece of you with me. It was my protection, something he couldn’t take from me. It was the last thing that remained of me. Each night after he’d finished, I would curl up on my side and touch it and pray. I had long since given up on the gods so I prayed to you. I prayed that you were happy. I prayed that you would forgive me for disappearing, for leaving. I prayed that you would come to get me. And then you did, you answered my plea. You came for me.”

Sansa finished speaking and continued touching the rose. She lifted her eyes from the tattoo and into the brown doe ones belonging to Margaery. They were glazed over and Sansa watched a small tear trickle down her cheek. Not really knowing what she was doing, Sansa reached out and caught it with her finger and wiped it away. Her hand lingered on Marg’s cheek. The older woman brought up her hand to keep it there. Sansa watched as Margaery turned her head and placed a kiss to it. 

To Sansa, her hand looked out of place, it was calloused and her nails were chipped from where she bit them, nothing like Margaery’s smooth perfectly manicured one. But Marg didn’t seem to care about that. She was transfixed by looking at her. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you -”

Margaery’s voice cut off. She couldn’t form the words. All her regrets were bubbling inside her, she could see all the mistakes she made, all the signs she hadn’t noticed. Marg had too much to apologise for. There was so much she hadn’t done. How could Sansa ever forgive her? How could she ever forgive herself?

Sansa dragged her thumb under Margaery’s eye, picking up the tears that had spilled from them. She couldn’t understand why Marg was apologising to her. It wasn’t her fault. Sansa was the one to blame for falling for his game. She had brought it all on herself. Margaery saved her, how could she not see this?

“Don’t apologise. You’re here now.” 

Margaery nodded and wrapped her arms around Sansa. She brought them together in a tight embrace. She vowed to never lose this girl again. Some more tears leaked from her eyes as she breathed in Sansa’s scent and let it comfort her. Marg buried her face into Sansa’s hair and tried not to let her body shake from her slight sobs. The weight of Sansa’s body kept her grounded and reminded her that Sansa was safe. They were together again, in eachothers’ arms. It was all going to be ok.

“Can you breathe okay?”

“Yes sweet girl. Even if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t move.”

Sansa nestled her head into Marg’s neck and let out a low exhale. Marg’s arms were still tightly woven around her and she knew right now, this was something Margaery needed as much as something she, herself, needed. Sansa could feel Marg’s body relaxing under her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised after I finished this that the main reason there is so much touching in between these two is probably because I'm so touch starved. (But i also think that Margaery and Sansa both would 100% want to always be close in this story, so I left in all the hugs since it kinda works with the story.) I miss my friends and family and I just want to give them all big hugs. I hope y'all are coping and my love goes out to you. Stay safe xx


	7. Chapter 7

The presence of a warm body pinning her to the bed pulled Margaery from her slumber. With groggy, slow actions she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and squinted to see what was preventing her from moving. Sansa’s sleep-tousled red hair came into focus and caused a smile to form on her lips. Their bodies were fully pressed together with Sansa’s head on her chest (at some point while they slept she must have slipped lower to this position) and their legs entangled, so that nothing could fit in between them. Sansa rose and fell with each breath she took. Margaery stretched out her hand and grabbed her phone off her bedside table, she was careful not to jostle Sansa too much. The Stark girl was evidently exhausted and Margaery was very happy to let her sleep for as long as she needed. 

Margaery held her phone in her right hand and scrolled through her messages, whilst her left subconsciously dropped to Sansa’s back and gently caressed up and down her spine. She replied to a few messages from Loras, liked a meme one of her cousins sent to the group chat and caught up with all the texts she’d received in the little over half a day she’d spent away from her phone. Upon realising that nothing consequential had happened in her absence, Marg exited her messages and went on instagram. For a while she scrolled through her feed, aimlessly liking memes and commenting on some of her friend’s posts. 

When she noticed Sansa beginning to stir, Margaery turned her phone off and placed it back on the table beside her before turning her attention to Sansa. The Stark girl mumbled something incoherent and shuffled up Margaery’s body to press her head into the crevice where Marg’s neck met her shoulder. She also slid off of Marg so that she was no longer lying directly on top of her but was now on her left side, still pressed close, and had her right leg and arm slung across Margaery. In response, Marg brought her arms around Sansa and held her. Sansa nuzzled her head further into Marg’s neck and Margaery felt her inhale deeply, as if it brought her comfort. 

“I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.”

Margaery smiled at the feel of Sansa’s warm breath on her neck. Her voice was quiet and the words still slightly slurred from sleep. She let a chuckle escape her lips before speaking.

“Don’t worry about it sweetie.”

They let the quiet cover them like a soft blanket muffling the outside world. Margaery’s hands resumed painting soft circles along Sansa’s arm and Sansa’s hand was resting flat on her collarbone with her finger tips curling into her neck. Warmth spread through Margaery, emanating from Sansa’s hand. Margaery noticed how different this was to last night. Sansa had regained most of her warmth and some of her composure. She was now safe and protected and free to begin the long healing process. Obviously Margaery knew that things were far from being good, but she felt like Sansa had progressed so much already in less than a day. The strength she was feeling embedded itself deep inside her and Margaery allowed herself to feel a little hope that Sansa would be able to heal. Together they would get through the next months, the next years, however long it took until Sansa was able to constantly feel safe and secure again. Even if they never got to that stage, they would do the best they could. Even if Sansa could never escape her terrors, at least she wouldn’t have to face them alone because Margaery had no intention of letting her go any time soon. Margaery was roused from her train of thought by Sansa’s murmuring voice.

“Thank you for letting me stay here.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

“I know. But I want to.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

Sansa began to tap her fingers on Marg’s skin, as if she were playing something on a piano. It reminded Margaery of the raindrop song her mother used to sing to her when she was little that involved her mum playfully running her fingers along little Margaery’s skin whilst she would squeal in delight. That song was one of her fondest memories, one that amongst all her fading memories of her mum still remained clearly in her mind. She wondered if Sansa had similar memories from her childhood. 

Soon the fingers stopped moving and Margaery looked down a little confused, she wondered if there was something wrong. But her fears disappeared when her eyes found the sleeping face of Sansa and yet she felt something break a little inside her. Sansa used to hate sleeping in the day, she used to say that it was a waste of valuable time. The woman Margaery knew so well would never have allowed herself to dose on and off like this. It just showed how deep Sansa’s exhaustion ran that she let herself be cared for so easily.

A rogue strand of hair was obscuring a part of her face so Margaery brushed it away with the tips of her fingers and tucked it behind Sansa’s ear. This motion accidentally caused Sansa to wake up from her brief slumber. A startled question tumbled from her mouth but Margaery quickly shushed her and whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, it’s fine. I was awake.”

“Hm.” Margaery let out a disbelieving hum and subconsciously ran her thumb along Sansa’s hairline, pressing down firmly, and she noted how Sansa’s eyes fluttered closed in appreciation at the pressure before she added, “go back to sleep.”

“No, I want to spend time with you.”

“You’re tired. It’s okay if you sleep all day, I don’t mind.”

“No, I’m awake now.”

Sansa opened her eyes and was met with Margaery’s face crained down so she could look at her. Margaery smirked and said, “You can barely keep your eyes open.”

A playful scowl appeared on Sansa’s face and she couldn’t resist reaching her fingers to press against the lines on Sansa’s forehead to flatten them. When Margaery noticed that Sansa was serious about wanting to do something together she suggested watching a movie. Sansa nodded at this and allowed their two bodies to separate, in preparation of moving onto the sofa.

“We can bring the blankets into the living room with us and snuggle up on the couch, if you like.”

Sansa nodded. So Margaery rolled out of bed and picked the breakfast tray up off the floor and turned back to face her. Sansa was sitting tentatively on the edge of the bed with her feet brushing the floor. Margaery could see the remainder of the dishevelled girl she saw last night and immediately asked, “Do you need my help?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay let me just drop this off in the kitchen and I’ll be right back.”

Margaery was true to her word and within a minute was by Sansa’s side holding out a hand to her. Sansa took it and noticed the reassuring squeeze Margaery gave, to tell her that she was there to help. It seemed to relieve some of the anxiety on Sansa’s face. Once Sansa was on her feet, Margaery brought an arm around her middle and clutched firmly onto her side. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, a little sore.”

“We’ll take it slow.”

And they did. The pair moved in baby steps out into the hallway where, halfway along the corridor, Sansa winced because her leg started cramping. She hadn’t walked more than a few steps at a time for so long, it felt like she needed to relearn this. Ramsay had confined her to the house and garden but most days she could barely get downstairs because of the bruises littering her body. When Margaery noticed Sansa had stopped moving, she also stopped and brought the hand Sansa wasn’t holding around her so the two were locked in a hug. Sansa allowed herself to lean her weight on the stronger woman.

“What hurts?”

“My leg, it’s cramping.”

“Ok, can you stretch it?”

“No, it hurts too much.”

Sansa’s jaw was locked in an effort to try and cope with the seizing pains in her leg and her hands were fisting and unfisting in the back of Margaery’s top, while Marg stroked over her shoulder blades and made soothing noises. When the pains began to subside Sansa tentatively put her weight back on her leg. She started to rock back and forward on her foot to test her pain tolerance and Margaery rocked with her. 

“I’m okay now.”

Margaery leant back and cupped Sansa’s face, she looked deep into her eyes for evidence to show that she was in fact all right. Satisfied, she assumed her previous position and started moving forward again. They made it into Margaery's living room and Sansa paused in the doorway, her legs felt weak and she could barely push herself to move the last few steps to Margaery's big couch.

“Come on let's go sit down.”

The gentle tug came from Margaery and she let herelf be guided to sit down on the couch. Marg then grabbed a blanket from across the room and placed it over Sansa, gently tucking her in. She made sure Sansa was fully covered by the fluffy blanket, then she smiled and gave Sansa the remotes before bustling off to the kitchen to get them some snacks and something to drink.

The rest of the day was spent on the couch. Neither was up to doing anything more. Margaery justified that tomorrow she would broach the topic of the future with Sansa, maybe they could go for a walk outside or just sit on her balcony so Sansa could get some vitamin d in her system. But she thought, there’s no rush. We can take it slow.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it please tell me in the comments or with kudos. If you have any requests or suggestions of directions you would like the story to go in, I'll happily listen to them in the comments. I haven't finished planning out what I want to write and I would love any ideas you have (though I can't promise I'll use them.) Thanks for reading xx


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